


Year One

by hmmfanfiction (niggletsune)



Series: First Time Dads [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Established Relationship, F/M, Kid Fic, M/M, Marriage, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-06-03
Packaged: 2018-01-24 15:13:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1609667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niggletsune/pseuds/hmmfanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles and Derek have their first baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daddy Derek

**Author's Note:**

> I had inspiration yesterday when someone made a GIF set saying Stiles would be a really good/protective dad. I also wanted to prolong studying for the final I'm going to fail today.

Ava Noelle Hale. Her eyes were three different colors. There was a beautiful yellow in the middle around her pupils, which grew into a deep gold, and ended with a chocolate brown. Stiles couldn’t stop staring into her eyes as she looked up at him, curious at the new face before her. Every time Stiles moved her eyes followed. When they brought her home from the hospital she’d been sleeping so Stiles sat her car seat on the floor then he and Derek both just stared at her until she woke up. They both expected her to cry, babies usually cried when they woke up but she just opened her eyes and looked up at Stiles. She’d been awake the past ten minutes and still hadn’t broken her stare.

            “What do you think she’s going to do?” Derek asked.

Stiles laughed. “What do you mean what is she going to do? She’s a baby, Der. She’s not going to do anything.”

            “No, I mean when is she going to cry or need changed or fed or I don’t know do we play with her?” Derek was terrified. He and Stiles had been together for five years now and Stiles had really wanted a child. Sure, Derek wanted a kid too but when Stiles mentioned kids Derek thought he meant adopting a kid that could at least walk and talk and Derek could throw a ball around with. Or be rough with. As a child Derek always rough-housed with his parents and siblings. Being from a family of wolves there was really no other way to play. But you couldn’t be rough with a baby, much less a baby girl. But Stiles wanted a kid of their own, preferably a child of Derek’s. So they got themselves signed up for surrogacy and Ava was born three days prior and brought home today. Derek imagined holding her, accidentally forgetting how strong he was and snapping her in half. She was no bigger than a football probably, and her hands and feet were so tiny, like ten times smaller than Derek’s.

            “She’ll cry when she’s hungry or needs to be changed I’m sure. She’s only a three days old so we can’t really play with her yet. But god just look at her Derek, she’s perfect.”

Derek nodded. She was pretty cute and she had these huge eyes that she kept watching Stiles with. But she was just so goddamn small. “I’m gonna start dinner, I guess I don’t see the point in having a staring contest with her.”

Stiles didn’t even break his glance with her as he nodded. “Sure, Der. Try not to make a lot of noise, I’m afraid if we make too much noise she might actually cry and then we’ll be in trouble.”

            “I’ll keep the music low.”

 

Derek liked to cook with music on and usually Stiles would dance around the kitchen nursing whatever alcoholic drink he had that night, usually a beer, wine, or a small glass of Jack Daniel’s after a _really_ long day at the Sheriff’s Office. Derek liked having Stiles in the kitchen when he was cooking. But he knew it probably wouldn’t be that way again for a while. Stiles had taken a leave of absence from the office for a month while they got settled in with the new baby and well, a kitchen was no place for a new baby. Derek was trying hard to be quiet, he really was but he’d sat the glass measuring cup on the edge of the marble counter and has he turned it went crashing to the ground, shattering.

            “Fuck!” Derek cursed loudly.

It was then that Ava’s cries came in a wailing sound from the living room.

            “Derek!” Stiles yelled only making Ava cry louder as if she knew she wouldn’t be heard over the yelling of her fathers.

Derek stepped on glass and ignored the sting in his foot as he made his way into the living room. The wolf inside of him was growling, wondering why his daughter was making such a sad and awful sound. “I’m sorry, the glass slipped.” He wanted to plug his ears over the sound of her crying; she had lungs like him for sure.

Stiles shot a glare at him as he unhooked Ava from her car seat. Carefully, Stiles lifted her and cradled her wriggling body in his arms. “Shh, shh. It’s okay little one, daddy’s here.”

A small smile passed over Derek’s lips. He could smell the love, affection, and protective instincts coming from Stiles. He was going to be an amazing father.

            “Derek, you’re getting blood on the floor.” Stiles snapped.

Derek looked down at the mahogany floors and noticed Stiles was right, there was blood under his feet.

            “Sorry, I stepped on glass. I’ll clean it up, is she okay?” Derek asked. Ava was still crying and it seemed as if Stiles couldn’t calm her down.

            “She’s probably hungry, Derek. Can you get the glass cleaned up and then bring me a bottle, please?”

Derek nodded wordlessly then went back into the kitchen. He quickly cleaned up the glass, thinking that the broken glass on the floor was in direct correlation with Ava’s crying but at the time went by she just kept getting louder and louder. Derek tried to read the back of the formula can the best he could so he could make Ava a bottle but when he carried it out to Stiles, his husband’s eyes widened.

            “Derek, she’s a three days old she doesn’t need an eight ounce bottle!” Stiles had laughter in his eyes so Derek could tell he wasn’t actually angry, but it still made him feel bad. He didn't know anything about babies. “I guess I’ll just feed her what she wants now and save the rest for later.” Stiles placed the bottle in Ava’s mouth and finally her cries halted.

Derek let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding and smiled again at the man he loved and the tiny baby in his arms. Ava was sucking intently and still holding a perfect staring contest with Stiles, her brown eyes seemed in awe of her father.

            “She loves you already,” Derek said.

Stiles smiled at him. “I was worried you know, that she wouldn’t like me since you’re actually her dad. I thought she’d be able to sense the genetics and realize oh hey, that big beautiful dude with the scruffy beard and kickass wolf stuff is really my dad. Who is this gangly guy with the spiky hair and shaky hands?”

Derek shook his head. He and Stiles had talked about this when they decided Derek would be the sperm donor. Stiles wanted a wolf child and it was Derek’s natural instinct to reproduce, it’s what wolves and all other animals were supposed to do. The child would come from him. “She hasn’t taken her eyes off of you since she opened them. I don’t think she cares about genetics.”

Stiles smiled. “Good. But I do, you made one beautiful little girl, Der. She’s perfect.”

 

            After Ava finished what she wanted of her bottle she drifted off to sleep in Stiles’ arms. He put her in her car seat and sat it on the floor, and let her sleep there. He claimed he didn’t want to put her in her bassinet upstairs in her room, out of his and Derek’s sight. Stiles made Derek eat dinner with him in the living room so they could watch Ava sleep there. He said that if he moved her into their dining room he knew she’d wake up. When they finished dinner Derek cleaned up all of the dishes then joined Stiles on the couch as he continued to watch Ava sleep.

            “She’s going to sense you staring at her, creep.” Derek said as he sat down.

Stiles laughed quietly. “I must’ve picked something up from you,” he then looked at the clock. “I’m gonna try to get a shower in before she wakes up. You good here?”

Derek nodded but felt his heartbeat pick up. He wasn’t good here. Ava had been sleeping for a while and there was a big possibility she’d wake up while Stiles was showering. “Yeah, fine.” He forced a smile. He didn't want to let onto Stiles that he was afraid to hold his own daughter.

Stiles planted a quick kiss on Derek’s lips before heading upstairs.

 

            It’s like Ava knew Stiles was gone. A few minutes after he went upstairs Ava’s ocher eyes popped open and she began scanning the room. Once she caught Derek’s face she stopped there and pondered for a moment. A normal baby Ava’s age wouldn’t be able to see more than a few inches in front of their face. But Ava wasn’t a normal baby; she was part wolf like Derek which meant her eyesight was much past the age of a newborn. Her eyesight wasn’t perfect but she could definitely distinguish between the faces of her fathers and Derek’s face wasn’t one she was used to. Since she’d arrived this afternoon, Ava spent all of her time staring at Stiles. So once she got a good look at Derek and realized that he wasn’t Stiles, Derek heard the hitch in her heartbeat and saw the widening of her eyes before her cries filled the room.

            “It’s okay Ava,” Derek tried to use the foreign cooing tone that he’d heard Stiles use when he talked to her earlier. Derek picked the car seat up from the floor and placed it on the couch. He began rocking the car seat softly, something he’d heard once that babies enjoyed. Ava was once again, not a normal baby. She scrunched her eyebrows up in frustration and wailed even louder, not liking the motion.

            “Okay, Ava what else could be wrong?” Derek asked her. He then picked up the car seat and took it into the kitchen, setting Ava on top of the counter. Derek warmed up a bottle and tested it on his wrist as Stiles had before he’d fed Ava earlier. He knew that the temperature wouldn’t seem hot to him so he hoped it wasn’t too warm for Ava. Derek then carried Ava’s car seat and her bottle back into the living room. He placed Ava on the couch and stuck the bottle in her mouth. She sucked for a few seconds before crying around the nipple and pushing it out with her tongue. Derek sighed. He was going to have to pick her up. He sat the bottle on the coffee table then turned to Ava. Her little face was read and scrunched up, shower her anger. Derek put his hands under her, remembering to support her head. As soon as he touched her Ava’s cries began to quiet. She was still fussing but significantly less than before. Derek held her out from his chest, her head in his hands and the remainder of her body resting on his arms. He finally knew the source of her crying too, she had a wet diaper.

 

            When Derek laid Ava down on the changing table in her room she started wailing louder, even more upset than she was in the car seat. Derek hesitantly pulled off her jeans and undid the buttons of her onesie. He quickly changed her diaper the best he could and slipped her clothes back on. By the time he finished Ava was screaming so loud Derek was afraid Stiles would think he was doing something wrong. Derek picked her up as Ava kicked her legs and she held her little fists up in the air, squeezing them in anger.

            “My god, she’s your daughter.” Stiles said from behind him. "She's so pissed off."

Derek growled but bounced Ava softly over his shoulder as he walked around the room. “She definitely doesn’t care about genetics, she hates me.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Whatever, she loves you.”

            “She loves you,” Derek said firmly. “She started crying the minute you left, Stiles.” Derek removed Ava from his shoulder and cradled her close to his chest, still bouncing her slightly as he walked.

Stiles sat down in the rocking chair. “She’s going to have to get used to both of us, Derek. You’re going to have to get used to her.”

            “What if I can’t? I had little cousins when I was younger but I never had to hold babies and do baby stuff.”

            “Derek, she stopped crying.” Stiles said.

He was right. Ava had stopped crying and she was staring up at Derek with her wide chocolate eyes. Derek smiled at her. He was glad she’d stopped crying. His wolf instincts could finally calm down now that his child had quieted.

            “I think she’s hungry,” Derek said. “Do you want to go get her bottle? It’s on the table downstairs.”

Stiles grinned as he stood up. “I know you’re afraid of her, and that you think she doesn’t like you or that you’re going to be a bad dad, but look at you. You’re doing well, Daddy Derek.”


	2. Were-babies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles doesn't understand the dynamics of caring for a were-baby. Derek is overprotective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part two!

“What the hell are you doing?” Stiles asked as Derek pushed his nose into the crook of Ava’s neck.

            “I’m marking her with my scent. She’s been here three days now and she still hates me. If I mark her with my scent she’s got to love me.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch. He watched Derek hold Ava close to him and nuzzle her with his nose. It was actually one of the, if not the cutest thing he’d ever seen his husband do.

            “Derek, she cries all the time. Not just when you hold her and not just when I walk away. Babies cry, she doesn’t hate you.”

            “She hates me.”

Stiles sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I promise she doesn’t hate you, if anything she hates us both. I thought she was going to be a quiet baby but then I forgot that she was our daughter and well...I guess we know why she cries all the time.”

            “You just said she hates us both, which means she hates me. See? I’m right.”

Ava was sleeping in Derek’s arms as he continued to nuzzle her neck. But suddenly Stiles noticed the corners of her mouth begin to turn up.

            “Der, Derek look!” Stiles grinned excitedly. “She’s smiling!”

Derek moved the baby away from his face to catch the end of her smile. As soon as he stopped marking her with his scent she began to frown again.

            “Do it again, Derek. Oh my god. I have to get a picture of this. She isn’t as much of a sourwolf as her daddy, she actually smiles!”

Derek shot him a glare but brought Ava back up to his face. He was enjoying marking her, it was something that all wolves were supposed to do with their new cubs. Wolves were actually supposed to do it to everyone in their new pack; it made it easier to share territory with. After Derek and Stiles had started dating Derek had done it to Stiles over and over again in his sleep, mixing their scents together.  She had one of the sweetest scents, a mix of flowers and genuine kindness was what Derek always got when smelling Ava.

            “She’s doing it again,” Stiles said with love in his voice. Derek closed his eyes and pressed his nose to his daughter’s neck as the flash went off.  “You closed your eyes, perfect. Ah, this is so cute. I can’t wait until next week when I put this online.”

Derek laughed and sat down on the couch with Ava. He was happy to be past the stage of fear when holding her. He wasn’t completely comfortable holding her, especially when she wriggled and cried, but when he was sleeping it was a piece of cake.

            “Next week, yeah. If you put that online with any sort of cute caption I’ll rip your throat out,” Derek cock an eyebrow. “With my teeth.”

Butterflies swarmed in Stiles’ stomach. It was a harmless threat since Derek had been saying it to him since they met, but it was one of his favorite playful threats Derek told.

            “Everyone is already so excited to see a glimpse of her. I’m surprised my dad and Scott haven’t been pounding on our door yet.”

Stiles and Derek had agreed to give themselves a week alone with their new baby before revealing her to their friends and family. They or Stiles especially wanted it to seem like they were the perfect dads by the time Ava got to meet the world.

            “Erica and Isaac have each texted me three times a day asking for a picture of her,” Derek said.

            “As if you’re going to send a picture of her. If anyone was going to crack it was going to be me,” Stiles said. He then reached his hands out in a “gimme, gimme” way to show Derek that he wanted the baby.

            “She’s going to be so spoiled.” Derek rolled his eyes and handed Ava to Stiles. “It’s after one in the morning and she’s sleeping, can we got back to bed now?”

Stiles laughed and stood up. “Says the wolf that just spent the last half hour scent marking our daughter.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “It’s a wolf thing, you wouldn’t get it.” He smelled the regret on Stiles before he even apologized.

            “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. It really was cute.”

            “I did it to you too though.”

Stiles laid Ava down in her bassinet. “What? Seriously, when?” He turned on Ava’s night light then went out into the hall where Derek was waiting. “All the time, mostly when you’re sleeping. Now c’mon I want to go to bed before Ava wakes up again.”

Stiles followed Derek down the hall way and climbed into bed next to his husband. Derek pulled Stiles into his chest and Stiles poked his nose in Derek’s neck, making Derek laugh softly. “You can’t scent mark me idiot, you don’t have the glands.”

Stiles frowned. “Whatever. Scent marking or not you’re mine forever.”

            “Of course.” 

*******

            Derek was always out of bed the second he heard Ava take her sharp intake of breath before she even started crying. He looked at the clock which read a little after six-thirty. _Right on schedule_ he thought to himself. Ava woke herself up around six or six-thirty every morning. She’d only been in the house for a week now and Derek was already attuned to her and her schedule. Stiles turned over and looked up at Derek with sleepy eyes. Derek shook his head.

            “Go back to sleep, I’ve got her.”

Stiles shook his head. “No, you got her last time. I’ll go.”

Derek sighed and sat back down on the bed. He could use a few more minutes of sleep. He told his protective instincts to calm down as he climbed back in bed, Stiles had her.

            By the time Stiles reached Ava’s room she was red in the face and her little fists were clenched in a fury.

            “Is it really necessary to upset yourself so early in the morning?” Stiles asked and he picked the baby from her round crib. “Now, you’re going to be meeting a lot of people today, little one. I’m gonna tell you all about them. Here, we’ll go downstairs and get you a bottle and I’ll show you some pictures.”

Ava quieted as Stiles carried her downstairs. Stiles smiled as she watched him intently.

            “I swear I’m not going to drop you or go anywhere. Geesh, you’re just like your dad. You’ve always got to stare at someone. And that temper of yours…” Stiles rubbed his nose with the baby’s. “But I don’t mind your eyes are just so pretty sometimes I wish they’d never close. But then that would mean that the daddies never got any sleep and we barely get any sleep as is, so...” Stiles rambled on.

            Stiles sat on the couch as he fed Ava her morning bottle and showed her pictures of their family and friends. They were hosting a “baby shower” at their house today which really meant people were going to bring them gifts they didn’t need and fawn over Ava the entire day.

            “This is your Uncle Scott,” Stiles showed Ava a picture she wasn’t paying attention to. “He’s pretty goofy. He’s got this funny crooked face that I know you’re going to love. Oh and this is his wife your Aunt Allison. She’s awesome, she’s pretty badass too. You’ll learn a lot about and from her as you get older. They have a baby too, or I guess Alexander is two, he’s not really a baby anymore.” Stiles took the bottle from Ava’s mouth to burp her and she started crying in the absence of her bottle. “Oh shh, you’re okay. If I don’t burp you now you’ll barf all over Daddy Derek or me later.” Stiles laughed to himself as he thought about yesterday when Derek had been feeding Ava. He’d forgotten to burp her when he was finished and as he held her with her head on his shoulder to take her upstairs he was granted with a long stream of baby barf down his back. “You got Daddy Derek good.” Stiles said.

            He heard the growl before Derek came into view. “So funny.” Derek said sarcastically as he made his way into the kitchen to make the morning coffee.

Stiles laughed and inserted the bottle back into Ava’s mouth to stop her fussing. “You don’t have to come running every time she cries you know. I’ve got it.”

            “I know I don’t but my wolf doesn’t. I try to suppress the instinct but I already suppressed it once this morning when I allowed you to get her from bed. When she started crying a minute ago my wolf shot out of bed, ready to defend her.”

Stiles smiled and placed a kiss on Ava’s forehead. “You’re never going to get hurt, ever. And boys? Don’t even think about boys until you live thousands of miles away from Derek. I don’t even think it would help you then.”

            “She’s not ever going to live thousands of miles away.” Derek said as he carried two cups of coffee into the living room. Derek kissed Ava’s forehead then Stiles’ lips before sitting down in the chair across from them.

            “You never know, she’s a Hale. She might run away.”

Derek shot him a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “It was meant to be a joke, Derek.” Stiles sighed. “I’m sorry, you’re right. It wasn’t funny.”

            “I’m going to take a shower,” Derek said and stood up.

Stiles frowned. “Derek, I’m sorry. C’mon! Come back. Look, you can’t be in a sourwolf mood today everyone is going to be here!”

Derek turned around and shot a glare at Stiles, his eyes flashing blue. “Stop with the sourwolf, okay Stiles? I get it, my family isn’t here. Cora left years ago, Peter ran off and took Malia with him, thus breaking your heart. I left you at the end of your senior year, again breaking your heart. I’m sorry that we run away but goddamn it doesn’t mean our daughter is going to turn out just like the rest of us.”

Stiles sat a sleeping Ava in her swing that rested by the couch and went to Derek. He reached up and put his hands on either side of Derek’s cheeks and pressed their foreheads together. He kissed Derek’s lips and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean anything by it. I just meant maybe she would get tired of us being over protective and run off with some boy. You’d eventually hunt them both down and drag them both back here of course and she’d stay because she loves us. I don’t hold you to you or your family’s past, Derek. The past is the past and you’re here with me and our daughter now and that’s all that matters.”

Derek huffed, letting his anger roll off of his shoulders. “I’m sorry I snapped. I’m just tense because everyone is going to be in our house today and the wolf side of me is growling about people being within the territory with a new cub around. Wolves are very protective over their babies.”

Stiles grinned. “I can tell. But it’s going to be okay. Erica and Isaac are coming and they’re pack right so it’s not that bad? Plus you trust Scott and Allison and little Alexander isn’t going to be that big of a deal. You’re really going to have to watch out for my dad though. Sheriff Stilinski may be a hard ass but he’s a damn sucker for babies. Melissa too. I don’t know what it is about parents with an only child but they cling to other people’s babies like moths on street lamps. It’s all going to be fine.”

Derek nodded. “Right, right. I’m still going to shower. Put her back in her bed, she needs to learn to sleep in that damn bed.”

Stiles cocked a brow. “Says the big guy who lets her sleep on his chest in the middle of the night.”

            “It was one time!” Derek laughed as he made his way upstairs.

 

            There was a new scent everywhere and it was driving Derek wild. Everyone wanted to get a look at Ava. He just wanted to growl at everyone to get the hell out of his family’s house.

            “I can see your frustration in your eyebrows,” Stiles murmured to him when he pulled him into the kitchen for a private moment. “Ava’s like you in that way, you can always tell she’s going to get upset because she furrows her little brows like you.”

Derek wasn’t paying attention. He was too focused on watching Sheriff Stilinski who was currently holding Ava.

            “Derek, chill. My dad knows how to take care of a baby,” Stiles put his hand on Derek’s bicep for comfort but got Derek’s chilling blue stare instead. “Derek, seriously. Calm down!”

Derek ground his teeth together. “I can’t, she’s so new. My mother once told me that wolves didn’t share their new babies with other packs until they were over a month old.”

            “A month?” Stiles said. “You were expecting me to keep our child from our friends and family for a month?”

            “That’s wolf tradition. The wolf inside of me is going mad because there are too many new scents in our territory and swirling around Ava.”

            “Let’s go on a walk,” Stiles moved his hand down Derek’s arms to link their fingers together. “We’ve been in the house for over a week now. Maybe you just need some fresh air. We can go out to the woods, run around for a while.”    

            “We can’t leave her here, Stiles. You think I’m going crazy now with her being held within ten feet of me, how do you think my wolf will react to leaving her alone without both of her parents.”

            “She won’t be alone, Der. There’s plenty of well-equipped people here to take care of her.”

Derek shook his head. “No, I’ll go. You’re right; I need to shift for a little bit. I’ll be gone an hour tops.” Derek placed a kiss on Stiles’ cheek. He then went to Sheriff Stilinski. “Can I see Ava for just a second, I’ll give her back in a minute, I swear.”

Stiles frowned as Derek took Ava and started going upstairs. “Derek, what the hell are you-,” he stopped when they reached the stairs and he saw Derek nuzzling Ava’s neck. “I have to mark her before I leave otherwise my wolf will never let me go out that door.”

Stiles grinned. He didn’t always understand the dynamics of being a wolf and he certainly didn’t understand the parenting dynamics of it. But all he could do was smile lovingly at his big wolf husband and their tiny were-baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your comments/kudos/bookmarks/reads are much appreciated. I'm really loving writing this. if there's anything you guys want to see out of this fic/series whether that be in Ava's first year or years to come (I'm planning on going to year 4) you can let me know in my ask: opnope.tumblr.com :)


	3. Accidents Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek's protective instincts get the best of him.

Derek didn’t get to go to Ava’s very first few check ups where she got shots. Stiles was glad because it was hard enough for him to see his daughter cry after being stuck multiple times with a needle, he couldn’t imagine Derek being there. But this time Derek was. It was Ava’s six month checkup and she was to receive three shots. Of course she was a werewolf so she wasn't supposed to get sick but Derek told Stiles that her healing wouldn’t actually kick in until her very first change, which would happen at the end of her first year of life. So for the first twelve months of her life Ava was just like any other baby she had to have shots and stay out of the cold and keep away from sick people.

            “Derek, you’re going to get angry I can already tell.” Stiles said as he and Derek sat in the room waiting for the doctor to come in and administer Ava’s shots. She was currently sitting on Stiles’ lap with a teething ring in her mouth, her big brown eyes focused on the sunlight outside of the window. “She’s going to cry, a lot and it’s really loud and it takes her a minute to calm down. You shouldn’t have come.”

Derek shook his head. “I can take it.”

            “I swear to god if you get mad at this doctor I’ll yell at you.”

            “So threatening.” Derek retorted and smiled at Stiles with gleaming white teeth.

Stiles sighed. There was a knock at the door, halting their conversation. Dr. Jason Delario came in grinning.

            “Stiles, Derek,” his face lit up in a goofy smile. “Ava!”

Ava opened her mouth in a wide smile with the teething ring still in her mouth, drool dripping onto Stiles’ khakis.

            “She’s got the chubbiest cheeks,” Dr. Delario smiled. “How’re we all doing?”

Stiles nodded. “Good, she’s managed to dodge all of the sickness going around at daycare and she’s gained a bunch of weight since her visit two months ago.”

            “Great,” Dr. Delario reached for her and Stiles took the teething ring from her mouth, replacing it with a pacifier before handing her over. Dr. Delario laid her on the baby scale and Ava pulled her left foot up to her face, fascinated with her toes. “She’s perfect weight for six months.” He then sat her up and kept a hand on her back.

            “She sits on her own now,” Derek said.

Dr. Delario smiled at the older man. “That’s great,” he removed his hand but kept an eye on Ava as he listened to her lungs and heart. “Everything sounds good, now for everyone’s least favorite part.” Dr. Delario looked to both of Ava’s fathers. “Who’s holding her hands today?”

            “I will,” Derek said.

Stiles kept silent but Derek heard the slight acceleration of his heartbeat.

            “I’ll be fine,” Derek said.

            “Nervous, Dad?” Dr. Delario asked Derek. “Ava usually gets pretty upset about her shots but I assure you it’s three quick and easy pinches, they mostly just scare her I think.”

Derek nodded and stood up next to the table. He smiled brightly at Ava, getting a just a big smile in return behind her pacifier.

            “Okay Derek, just stand over her head and hold her hands up. I’m going to swipe both of her legs with a disinfectant wipe then I’ll put two shots in the right leg and one in the left. I know you’re going to want to pick her up right away but wait a few seconds after I do the third shot. You haven’t been here with us before so I’m just telling you this like I do all the first time parents.”

            “Got it.” Derek said.

            “Okay Ava, here we go.”

Stiles had taken Ava’s pants off before Dr. Delario came in so he had easy access to her legs as she laid clad in a lavender onesie. Dr. Delario disinfected Ava’s thighs before picking up the first needle. Even though he and Stiles had briefed Derek on Ava’s reaction, he wasn't ready for what was to come.

            The second the needle went in Ava took a deep, open-mouthed breath and her pacifier rolled out of her mouth. Her face turned bright red and she let out a wail and scrunched her eyes in pain. As the second shot went in Ava went silent, holding her breath for eight seconds before letting out a cry that Derek had never heard before. It was a cry of pain and Derek wanted it to stop. The wolf inside of him was telling him to rip Dr. Delario’s throat out with his teeth but he focused on Ava to suppress the urge. On her last shot she was looking up at Derek with the saddest look on her face while she cried profusely and stiffened her aching legs.

            “Okay, okay we’re all done, Ava.” Dr. Delario said after he finished putting on Ava’s band aids. “Go ahead, Derek.”

Derek scooped Ava up quickly and cradled her head in his hands as he turned away and bounced Ava to calm her. She was screaming in his ear and he had to keep his teeth clenched in order to not look at Stiles or Dr. Delario. He could smell the yearning and sadness coming from Stiles but ignored it. Selfish as it was he couldn’t care that his mate wanted their daughter, as the alpha of the family he had to comfort her.

            “I’ll leave you guys,” Dr. Delario said before slipping out the door.

            “Derek,” Stiles said.

Derek turned back to Stiles and saw the paleness on his face and the upset in his eyes. He stepped forward but was granted with a growl coming deep from Derek’s chest. They both widened their eyes and Stiles stepped back.

            “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Derek said regretfully. He continued to bounce Ava who was stilling fussing on his shoulder. “That may be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I mean I just held down my own child and let her receive pain.”

Stiles’ heart was still hammering with fear but there was understanding in his eyes. “I know, I told you it was awful.”

            “I wasn’t prepared. I’ll never be prepared. I can’t come to her nine month or twelve month shots. I almost killed that doctor.”

Stiles laughed and stepped closer to Derek who willingly gave Ava to him. Stiles slipped her pants back on and placed her pacifier back in her mouth, quieting her cries. “I’m glad you didn’t. What a sight that would’ve been to see?”

Derek rolled his eyes. “Can we go home now?”

Stiles kissed Derek’s lips. “Yeah, we can go home now.”

 ***

            He had to take a picture. Stiles returned home late from the office because of a car accident right outside of town that he had to deal with. When he finally got back it was after nine and Ava and Derek were sleeping on the couch, Ava on Derek’s chest, both of them with their mouths hanging open. Stiles got his phone out and the flash went off once before Derek’s eyes popped open.

            “You didn’t,” he said sleepily.

            “I did,” Stiles said. “Long day?”

Derek nodded and carefully pushed himself up into a sitting position, holding Ava close to his chest. “Yes, Ava’s teething again and she’s been a little monster.”

            “Pun intended?” Stiles asked.

Derek glared at him. “I’ve been leeching pain from her for the past two hours. That second bottom tooth is giving her the hardest time which in return makes Ava give me a hard time. She wouldn’t stop crying. Finally I just caved and gave her Tylenol because even taking her pain wasn’t helping and she kept getting pissed off because I was trying to hold her still while I took it.”

            Stiles sighed. “I’m gonna go get changed and I want a little bit of baby lovin’ before I get something to eat. Then you and I are going to spend some quality time together,” he gave Derek a look of lust.

Derek smiled back seductively. “Hurry up.”

 

            “I can’t believe you fucking woke her up,” Derek growled as Stiles lied on the floor held a giggling Ava up in the air and smiled at her from below.

            “I don’t get to see her for most of the day,” Stiles said. “I wanted to play with her and she’s in a good mood.”

            “Stiles it’s almost ten o’clock, she’s never going to go back to sleep.”

            “Yeah she will, just let me play with her for a bit.”

Derek glared and sat down on the floor with Stiles and Ava. Stiles sat up and sat Ava in between them. She looked between her fathers and smiled then preoccupied herself with the toys in front of her.

            “Stiles she’s been on a perfect schedule for months now, why did you choose the crabbiest day of her life to wake her up?”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Takes a sourwolf to know a sourwolf. She’s fine right now and like I said I haven’t seen her all day, leave me alone about it.”

Derek stood back up. “No, because you’re taking her off of her schedule. I pick her up from daycare every day after I leave the school. My high school kids are gone by two-thirty, I get to the daycare no later than three and we’re never home later than three-thirty unless it’s Thursday and we have to stop for groceries. She has dinner at five and we play until seven or seven-thirty when it’s time for her bath. Then we read books or watch movies and she’s asleep no later than nine. She wakes up around one for a bottle and-,”

Stiles gave Ava a toy and stood up, interrupting Derek. “I know my daughter’s schedule, Derek. Its one night. I haven’t seen her in what I feel like days because of this murder case. You don’t understand what it’s like to not see her for an extended period of time.”

            “No, because I’m with her all the time.”

Stiles glared and followed Derek into the kitchen. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Derek shook his head. “Nothing.”

            “No, Derek! It’s not ‘nothing’. Are you mad at me now because I’ve got long hours at the station? I took off as much time as I could when Ava arrived. I cut back my hours at first but I thought since she was getting older now, that she only woke up once a night that it wasn’t that big of a deal. We talked about this. You were fine with it at first.”

            “I just thought my daughter would get time with both of her father’s when it was convenient for her. We never see you, Stiles!”

            “Your daughter?” Stiles snapped. “You’re saying it as if she’s not also my daughter.”

            “Because it doesn’t feel like she is!” Derek yelled.

Stile stepped back, angry and hurt tears filling his eyes.

Derek wanted to apologize. He was about to but then he caught the sound of Ava’s heartbeat startle because something had scared her. He and Stiles turned towards the living room just in time to see Ava falling backwards and her head crashing hard onto the mahogany flooring.

            It was quiet for several seconds as Stiles and Derek waited for Ava to start crying. Stiles let out a deep breath when she didn’t after a moment, but took in another one when he caught the look on her face. Ava’s mouth was wide open and the sob was stuck in her throat. Then suddenly she let it out, releasing a pained wolf-like cry that erupted through the living room. Derek went to her in an instant and scooped her up in his arms, cradling her close to his chest.

            “Shh, shh. Ava its okay, daddy’s here.” He murmured to her. He checked her head to see if there was any sign of damage and was relieved when there wasn’t. He kept leeching pain from her back, hoping it would calm her down.

            “Is she okay?” Stiles asked worriedly.

Derek turned around and flashed his blue eyes at him, fury all over his features. “You left her unattended on the floor, Stiles! What the hell were you thinking?!”

            “We were right in the kitchen, we could see her. She sits on her own now, I thought she’d be fine.” Tears were running down his cheeks as he filled himself up with guilt.

            “She can sit on her own but that doesn’t mean you should leave her unattended! She falls over sometimes when she gets excited, something you would know if you were here!”

It was like a stab to Stiles’ heart. Derek was angry because Stiles was busy with work. He knew it was going to eventually cause problems, his dad had warned him. He said Stiles’ mom and him used to have the fight over and over again about how much time being a deputy took the now Sheriff away from their family. But Stiles never thought he and Derek would have it. They both knew the craziness of Beacon Hills, knew that Stiles would be away a lot. Right on cue Stiles’ phone went off, the station number popping up, indicating that he was being called in.

            “I have to go,” Stiles sighed and grabbed his phone, wallet, and badge from the coffee table. He then sniffled and wiped the traces of tears from his face.

Derek glared. “Our daughter is screaming and you’re going to leave.”

            “Can I hold her for a second?” Stiles asked. He widened his glossy eyes when Derek hesitated. “Please?”

Derek handed Ava over then stood back with his jaw clenched as Stiles bounced and tried to calm her.

            “Hi baby girl.” Stiles cooed at the infant. His heart fluttered at the idea of leaving her tonight. He’d meant what he’d said to Derek, it did have an effect on him to be away from her for so long. “Daddy loves you so much,” he planted a kiss on both of her cheeks then nuzzled their noses together. Ava’s cries quieted then. He moved to hand her back to Derek. “You should put her to bed, I need to leave.”

            “Are we going to talk about this?” Derek asked harshly.

Stiles sighed. “I don’t have time, Derek.”

            “Your dad’s the sheriff, you can be late.”

Stiles shook his head. “No, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

            “Are you not coming back tonight?”

Stiles was silent as he rocked back on his heels. “No, probably not. I’ll catch up on some work at the station so I can come home early tomorrow.” He went to make his way out the door.

            “You can’t leave angry, Stiles. It’s in our vows.”

Stiles’ breath hitched as he suppressed a sob. “ _I vow that I know I’ll get angry and that you’ll get angry too. You’re going to want to storm out the door and go on a run or a hike or something. I ask you not to and in return I’ll never leave angry either, as much as I’ll want to get away from those furrowed eyebrows you have.”_ Stiles had said it to Derek in his vows and in the five years they’d been married they each followed the rule, neither of them never left angry. They may have left without things being resolved, but never angry. “Good thing I’m not angry, then.” Stiles said before he looked up at Derek with tears in his eyes. “I’m just hurt.”

            “Stiles, I was angry and I’m tired and frustrated and then Ava got hurt. I didn’t mean it.”

            “But you said it and no matter if you meant it or not it still hurts.”

Derek frowned. “I’m sorry,” he softened his eyes. 

            “I have to go,” Stiles looked at the door. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

Derek moved to Stiles and placed a kiss on his forehead before Stiles left the house. Derek then looked down to Ava who had fallen asleep in his arms and he noticed her eyebrows were furrowed. He chuckled to himself and smoothed them out with his hands. “Don’t worry little one,” he started. “Daddies fight and babies fall but everything gets better because accidents happen.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in need of a Beta for some future stuff if anyone's interested :)  
> there's one more chapter left of Ava's First Year and then we'll delve into her second and so on. I'm excited for her to get older and experience so many more Daddy Sterek moments.


	4. We've Made it Thus Far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follows the last three months of Ava's first year, leading up to her first change on the full moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last one for this part of Ava's life. I'll add year two soon.

Derek was happy because after a month of nagging and then finally just going to Sheriff Stilinski himself, Stiles had finally cut down his hours at the station. There were no more long hours and overnights. Stiles went in at six in the morning and got home at five in the afternoon. This meant he always made it for dinner and always got to help put Ava to bed. This also meant that he and Derek finally had weekends to go out and do stuff together. Not that Derek really liked the idea of that.

            “Stiles, we are not going out on a date,” Derek said as Stiles was standing in the middle of their bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another in his hands as he dried his hair.

            “I already called Erica and Isaac, like three days ago when you agreed to go out with Scott and Allison.”

Derek narrowed his eyes. “That’s not fair, Ava was crying and I wasn’t listening so I just mumbled a sure to shut you up.”

Stiles grinned at Derek and took a stride across the room to be close to him. He pressed himself close to Derek and ran his nose along the stubble of Derek’s chin. “C’mon, Der. It’ll be fun.”

Derek could smell the seduction and he leaned in closer. “Can’t we just stay here?”

Stiles raised a brow and smirked. “I swear you can do whatever you want to me when we get back. All you have to do is go out for dinner and drinks; we’ll be back to Ava in like four hours tops. She won’t even know we’re gone; she’ll be sleeping by the time we get here.”

Derek raised a brow and smiled with menacingly white teeth. “Whatever I want?”

Stiles gulped. “I mean-,” Derek cut him off with his lips and nipped at the bottom of Stiles’ tongue. When they broke off Stiles looked at their bed then back at Derek.

Derek laughed as he felt something moved beneath Stiles’ towel. “Uh, uh, uh,” he waggled his finger. “We’ve got to get ready for date night,” he said as he strolled out of the room.

            “You’re the devil!” Stiles yelled after him.

Derek laughed as he went into their daughter’s room. Ava was standing in her play pin staring up at Derek with her gleaming brown eyes.

            “I cannot believe you’re almost ten months old,” Derek sighed.

            “Yeah, this is why it’s perfectly fine that we’re going on a date for the first time since her birth!” Stiles yelled from their bedroom.

Derek rolled his eyes and picked up a smiling Ava. He laid her on the changing table and unhooked her onesie.

            “Dada, dada, dada, dada,” Ava babbled.

Derek grinned. “That is just music to my ears, baby girl.” Ava had begun babbling “dada” at the end of her six month, something Derek and Stiles’ heart swelled to hear. Derek finished changing Ava’s diaper then put her in a sleeper. It was only four in the afternoon but he didn’t want Erica or god forbid, Isaac, to have to change Ava for bed. Stiles then came into the room dressed in a plaid button up and jeans with his hair spiked, making Derek swoon a little.

            “It’s nice to see you out of your uniform in regular people clothes that aren’t pajamas for once.”

Stiles laughed and took Ava from Derek’s arms. “Go get ready, sourwolf.”

Derek growled playfully but pecked both Ava and Stiles on their foreheads before retreating to their bedroom.     “Your daddy Derek is so worried, all the time!” Stiles said excitedly to Ava. Her face lit up in a grin as she looked at Stiles.    

            “Dada, dada, dada,” she said.

            “Yay!” Stiles clapped her hands together, earning a giggle from Ava.

 

            When they got downstairs Stiles put Ava in her walker and watched her make her way around the living room. She was cute to watch. Stiles always found it amusing when Ava got frustrated because she knocked into the coffee table or the couch.

            “Ava!” Stiles called from the couch where he was texting Scott to meet him and Derek here at five. He then told Isaac the same for him and Erica. Ava turned her head towards Stiles and lit up in a smile at the presence of her dad. “Ava, come here baby girl!” Stiles held out her favorite toy towards her so she’d make her way over in her walker.

            “Maybe you should try that while she’s standing on her own?” Derek suggested as he came downstairs.

Stiles could have devoured him right then and there. Derek was clad in dark jeans that fit him in all the right places, a burgundy Henley, and his leather jacket, with black boots to end it all. “You’re doing this so I suggest that we don’t go out tonight, aren’t you?” Stiles gulped.

Derek flashed him a cocky smile, his white teeth gleaming beneath his lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Derek leaned down to lift Ava from her walker and placed her on her feet. She had the standing thing down now; the next step was to get her walking.

Stiles rolled his eyes and threw his head back. “You’re ridiculous, ridiculous I tell you!”

Derek laughed and pet Ava grip onto both of his index fingers.

            “Ava!” Stiles called her name, getting another smile. Her eyes brighten. “Dada, dada, dadad,” she babbled as she stuck her foot out to get towards Stiles, she fell immediately.

            “Isn’t she too young to walk?” Stiles asked.

Derek shrugged. “All of the wolves in my family were said to walk early, Ava will probably be no exception.” Ava gave up and crawled until she planted herself in front of Stiles. Stiles reached down to grab her then picked her up quickly, holding her up high over his head. Ava giggled wildly as Stiles brought her back down and planted tickling kisses on her neck.

Derek was grinning at both of them as there was a knock on the front door. Stiles eyes lit up in a smile, “Scott’s here!”

 

            Little Alexander McCall had more energy in a two year old body than Derek and Stiles had ever seen before. He toddled around the living room, playing with Ava’s toys and making growling sounds at the same time.

            “Has he always been this energetic?” Derek asked as he watching Alexander run around the living room. He wanted so much to reach out and grab the little boy, afraid he was going to run into something and hurt himself.

Scott laughed as he held Allison close to his side. “Ever since he could walk,” Allison smiled in agreement. “He’s really good at using his wolf skills lately, that’s why he keeps growling.”

            “Do you think Erica and Isaac are going to be okay with both of them?” Derek asked. “Ava isn’t a lot to handle but she’s demanding and has a bit of temper.”

            “Well she’s your daughter,” Allison laughed. “Alexander will be fine once Erica and Isaac get here, they’ve sat for him before and everything was fine.”

            “Aside from the huge gash that was on his forehead when we got home and the claw marks on the wall, but yeah it was fine.” Scott said.

Derek and Stiles’ eyes widened, causing chuckles to come from Scott and Allison. “I’m kidding, calm down guys. You can tell you’re both first timers.”

            “First timers?” Stiles asked as he cradled Ava close to his chest.

            “First time parents, we are too but we’ve had a little longer to get used to everything.” Allison said. “Its fine, it’s normal to be worried the first time you have a sitter.”

            “Worried?” Stiles laughed. “Derek about bit my head off the minute I proposed going out.”

There was a sudden knock at the door. “Well, he’ll have to get used to it now.” Scott said.

 

            Erica and Isaac were more than ecstatic to be watching Alexander and Ava. The second Isaac walked through the door Alexander ran up to him and reached for the blonde haired man.

            “Hey there, buddy.” Isaac said and lifted him to his hip. He looked up and smiled at Scott and Allison. “Bedtime still the same right? Eight thirty?”

Scott nodded. “Yeah, we had a whole day at the park today so he should go right down for you. Stiles said you can just put him in the play pin in Ava’s room.”

Derek then took Ava from Stiles and walked towards Erica and Isaac. “She wriggles, a lot so be careful when you hold her and she really likes to be on the floor, she’ll crawl everywhere but watch her because she bumps into everything. Oh, she’ll need a bottle when you put her to bed at nine. She’s probably going to cry if you just lay her in there so rock in her the chair or something because she’s loud and she’ll wake up Alexander. She has baby food out on the counter. Don’t give her anything but the baby food,” Derek looked at Isaac, “I mean it.”

Isaac laughed. “Got it, boss.”

            “She really likes to watch cartoons so if you could put those on while she’s playing or something that’ll be great and-,” Stiles stopped Derek by putting a hand on his arm.

            “Der, they’ve got it. They’ve been watching Alexander for a long time now. C’mon, Derek.”

Erica smiled at Derek. “We really appreciate you letting us watch her we need all the practice we can get in the next two months.” Erica placed a hand on her protruding stomach. “Hopefully ours will be as adorable as Alexander and Ava here.” She reached her hands out for Ava.

Derek was hesitant but handed Ava over to Erica.

            “We’ll be back no later than ten.” Stiles said. “Thanks a bunch, guys.”

As soon as Derek and Stiles went for the door Ava started crying and Derek whipped around to see her reaching for him. The wolf inside of him whined and took a step towards her but Stiles grabbed his arm.

            “Der, it’s okay. She’ll be fine.”

Alexander noticed that Ava was crying because her parents were leaving which made him stop climbing up Isaac’s torso as he sat on the couch, and start crying because he noticed his parents were leaving too.

            “Alex, it’s okay.” Allison cooed to him from across the room. “Mama and Daddy will be back,” she blew him a kiss. “Bye-bye.”

Alexander looked up at her with glossy eyes. “Bye-bye,” he stopped crying when Isaac tossed him in the air playfully.

Ava was still crying in Erica’s arms, reaching for Stiles now. “Derek, Stiles, I promise I’ll call if she doesn’t stop but I think she’ll be okay once I get her some dinner and we play.”

            “If she cries for more than ten minutes call me,” Derek commanded. “I mean it.”

Erica nodded. “I promise.”

Derek sighed and Stiles dropped his arm to link their fingers together. “Have fun!”

            “You too!” Erica called back.

 

            “She’s not old enough to be left alone,” Derek said finally after ten minutes of angry silence on the way to the restaurant.

Stiles shook his head from the passenger seat. “She’s fine, Derek. I texted Erica and she said she’d already stopped crying. Everything will be fine.”

            “She better not walk while we’re gone. I’ll be so pissed if she walks and we’re not there.”

            “She’s not going to walk, Derek. She’s not old enough to walk yet.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “I’m telling you, Stiles. She’s going to walk soon.”

 

Derek, Stiles, and Scott were all three drinks in when Stiles noticed Allison wasn’t drinking.

            “Allison, don’t you want some wine or something?” Stiles asked.

Allison looked at Scott then smiled. “No, I’m driving Scott tonight.”

            “One glass of wine won’t hurt,” Stiles pressed.

Derek chuckled from beside Stiles and squeezed his hand. “She’s pregnant.”

Stiles looked at Derek then back at Scott with anger on his face. “You told Derek but you didn’t tell me?!”

Allison and Scott furrowed their brows. “What? No we-,”

            “I can smell the extra hormones,” Derek confessed. “They didn’t tell me anything.”

Scott’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Dude, that’s how I knew she was pregnant. We don’t need pregnancy tests in our house.”

Allison smiled and blushed. “Yeah, Scott told me before I even had any symptoms.”

            “Are you sick yet?” Derek asked.

Allison nodded. “Mornings are hell. I forgot how hard it is to carry a half wolf. I’m fifteen weeks along and just about showing through shirts so that’s why we invited you guys out tonight. We wanted to tell you and ask you a question.” She looked at Scott and he grinned at Stiles and Derek.

            “We want to ask you to be the godparents, of Alexander and the new baby. Alexander loves you and you’re so good with him. We couldn’t think of anyone else better.”

Stiles smiled at Derek who wasn’t actually beaming but had a pleasant look on his face. “What actually entails in being a godparent?” Stiles asked.

            “Well, if something were to happen to Allison and me you would get custody of the kids. Obviously we’re hoping nothing will happen to us but with the things that all of us do we need precautions in order.”

            “Shouldn’t you give the role to someone who doesn’t do what we do?” Derek said.

Stiles shot an angry look at his husband. “Derek!” he said then looked apologetically to Allison and Scott. “Of course we’d love to be their godparents. You should be Ava’s godparents too.”

            “Stiles, I think that’s something we should decide together,” Derek said.

Allison flushed a deep red. “I’m sorry, we didn’t want to make you obligated to be Ava’s godparents too we just don’t trust anyone as much as we trust you.”

            “I’m just saying, you guys we need to think about this. We’re a big pack of wolves and hunters and the chances of something happening to us aren’t slim,” Derek said. “We should give custody of our kids to someone who is more likely to be around for a while.”

Stiles hated when Derek talked like this; mentioning the inevitability of the wolves impending death. “Derek,” he looked at him sadly, “we are going to be around for a while. We haven’t had any real threats in a while. Besides, all of us are involved who else would we give the role of godparents to?”

            “Your dad and Melissa.”

Stiles sighed. “We should talk about this at home, c’mon guys a lighter subject please.” He didn’t want to talk about the possibility of not being in Ava’s life anymore and having to burden his dad and stepmom with the responsibility of his child. Stiles’ death was not something he wanted to talk about since he feared every day for his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.

 

            Isaac was wiped out as he slumped on the couch with Alexander tangled around him, finally asleep. He could still hear the cries of Ava upstairs as Erica tried to rock her to sleep but it didn’t seem as if they would be dying down. Isaac carefully laid Alexander on the couch and tucked a blanket around him before trudging upstairs. Erica was bouncing a screaming Ava around the room with her back turned to Isaac when he came in the room. He thought the salt he smelled was coming from Ava and some of it was but when Erica turned he saw the tears in her eyes just as they spilled over onto her cheeks.

            “Erica,” he went to her and she started sobbing.

Erica gasped. “I don’t know what to do for her. She won’t stop crying and she doesn’t want a bottle and she’s doesn’t need changed and she doesn’t want to be rocked and I just don’t know what to do. I can’t call Stiles and Derek because they’ll never let us sit for them again and we need to sit for them because obviously I need the practice,” she cut off in a ragged breath. “I just don’t want to be a horrible mom.”

Isaac pulled Erica and Ava into his arms and kissed Erica all over her face, trying to make her smile. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother,” he touched the bump on her stomach. He reached for Ava who retreated into Erica and clung to her shirt. Isaac smelled the emotion of hesitancy on her and smiled as she stopped crying and pushed her face into Erica’s neck. Erica smiled and leaned to kiss Isaac’s lips. “I love you.”

Isaac beamed. “I love you too. Bring her downstairs and cuddle on the couch with me, I’m sure she’ll fall asleep.”

 

            Sure enough when Derek, Stiles, Allison, and Scott got home they found Erica and Isaac asleep on the couch cuddled each with a child clinging to them. Stiles took out his phone and snapped two quick pictures. “Memories.” He declared.

Derek went over to Erica and took Ava from her arms. Ava snuggled herself deep in the crook of Derek’s arm and sighed happily in her sleep. Erica aroused from her sleep instantly and widened her eyes. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to fall asleep but they were already sleeping and-,”

Derek cut her off with a shake of his head. “It’s fine. Everything is in order here. Thank you.”

Scott shook Isaac’s shoulder to wake him up so he could hand Alexander over to him. “Thanks, guys. You’re the best.”

            “Yeah,” Stiles said. “Nothing is burned down and no one’s dead so, you did well.”

Erica grinned as she slowly stood up, holding her bump. “Thanks, batman.”

 

            Derek could smell the anger on Stiles as he climbed into bed next to him but he really didn’t want to discuss what had been brought up at dinner. As soon as Derek got in Stiles turned away from him, making Derek sigh.

            “Stiles,” Derek said firmly. “I didn’t mean it to be rude to Allison and Scott. I’m being rational.”

Stiles sat up furiously. “Scott is my best friend and my brother, Derek. No matter how you put it, it was rude. The fact that they chose us is amazing in itself and then you just threw the offer back in their face.”

            “I did not.” Derek said as he sat up too. “Stiles, I was thinking about the future of all of our kids. There are hunters all over the country that know about us. There’s no guarantee we’re going to be able to protect ourselves forever. I just want to make sure all of our kids are cared for and won’t be split apart. You know your dad and Melissa are the best choice.”

Stiles sighed. “Then they can be the secondary godparents, Derek I really want Scott and Allison to know that we care about them and their kids. I don’t want them to think that we don’t.”

            “They don’t think that, Stiles. But fine, we’ll let them know that we’ll be Alexander and the new baby’s godparents. But I want your dad and Melissa to be Ava’s godparents.”

Stiles huffed again. “I guess I understand.”

Derek kissed his temple. “I’m sorry if I was rude.”

Stiles raised a brow. “Derek Hale, apologizing? Hell is freezing over as we speak.”

Derek rolled his eyes and growled. He then pounced on Stiles. “I’m delivering what you promised.”

Stiles smirked. “I’d hope so.”

*

            Ava was standing in her crib when they woke up the next morning. Derek had heard her babbling in the next room and got up to get her. Stiles followed in tow and they got Ava ready for the day, bathing her and dressing her in one of the many, many cute outfits she owned. Derek was making coffee in the kitchen and Stiles was sitting on the couch when it happened.

            “Derek! Derek!” Stiles yelled and Derek went whipping into the room.

Ava had been standing at the coffee table when she noticed her favorite toy a few steps across the room. Stiles had looked up at the moment she let go of the coffee table and moved her foot to take a step. But as Derek came whipping in the room Ava fell on her but and started crying from being startled. Derek scooped her up and bounced her playfully. “It’s okay, baby.” Derek smirked at Stiles. “You said nine months was too young to walk.”

            “She didn’t walk yet, and now that you scared her she probably never will.”

Derek laughed and sat Ava on the floor. Stiles and Derek sat on either side of her a ways away and each started beckoning her. Ava turned excitedly back in forth between her dads like it was a game then turned so her body was facing Derek.

            “Come here, daddy’s girl.” Derek said.

Stiles grinned lovingly at both of them. He watched with his camera as Ava reached towards Derek and looked down at her feet. Slowly but with more grace than a baby should ever have, Ava took her first four steps into Derek’s embrace. Derek hugged her tightly and kissed her all over her face, making her giggle wildly. “I told you she wasn’t too young.”

            “Remember when Ava was born and you thought she didn’t like you?” Stiles stood up as Derek did and went to him and Ava. He planted a kiss on Derek’s lips. “Well too bad she loves you.”

 

***

            It was Ava’s birthday and Stiles was running around the house making sure all the decorations were in order. He also made sure there was nothing out that could get broken because Ava was running these days and she’d be running around playing with Alexander for probably the duration of the party. Derek was putting the last touches of frosting on the cake and Ava was standing in the middle of the floor, pushing her hips side to side. Dancing was her new favorite thing to do because it made her dads smile at her. Ava did anything to make her dads smile. As there was a knock on the door Stiles sighed exasperatedly. Erica, Isaac and their three month old Jane were standing at the door, Isaac carrying the car seat and Erica carrying the two gifts they had for Ava.

            “Are we early?” Erica asked as she looked at Stiles who had four balloons tied to his wrist.

Stiles shook his head. “No, come in,” he grinned down at the sleeping baby. “I can’t believe Ava is not that little anymore. God, she’s so cute.” Stiles gestured to Jane.

            “Where do you want the gifts?” Erica asked.

            “Set them on the table. Derek, Erica and Isaac are here!”

Derek came chuckling, wiping his hands on a towel. “I can hear and smell them.”

 

            Twenty minutes later the cake was out, the decorations were done, and the house was filled with their friends and family. Danny, Ethan, and their three year old Caroline had come in town just for the occasion as well as Aiden and Lydia who were expecting their first baby. Lydia and Allison compared bumps in the corner while gushing over Erica’s new infant. Everyone’s kids were at the toddler stage aside from Ava and Jane so they were the attention hogs of the party.

            “Should we do cake then presents or presents then cake?” Stiles asked Derek as they stood in the opening of the kitchen and living room, both with drinks in their hands, watching the party. Everyone was pretty much done munching on the foods Derek had prepared.

            “Presents, probably. It’s probably going to take a while to clean Ava up after cake.”

Stiles nodded and took a sip of his whiskey. “Good call.”

 

            Everyone gathered with their presents in the living room while Derek and Stiles sat in the middle of the living room floor with Ava between them. Stiles’ dad handed them a present first. Ava didn’t quite know what to do once the wrapped box was sitting in front of her so she looked between Stiles and Derek before banging on the top of it. Derek laughed and ripped at the corner of it knowing Ava would become curious and start tearing as well, not realizing that was the purpose. On the inside was a small drum about the size of an ice cream tin and a xylophone.

            “You said Ava really likes music so I thought this would help, the xyla-thing plays its own music too and you can record and upload music to it or whatever.”

Stiles smiled brightly at his dad. “Thanks, Dad. She’ll love it.”

Derek nodded. “Yeah thanks, Sheriff.”

            Lydia and Aiden’s gift was next and it was no surprise to Derek or Stiles that they were designer baby clothes.

            “A girl is never too young for her first designer outfit, of course I’d given them to her at her birth but I know she’s grown out of those by now. She can expect them every year.” Lydia batted her eyes and smiled.

            “Thank you, Lydia and Aiden. They’re great.”

Erica and Isaac’s gift was next and Derek smirked hard as he pulled it out of the bag. It was a black leather jacket with a small triskele symbol embroidered on the top left.

Erica smirked. “A girl is also never too young for her first leather jacket.”

Stiles’ eyes were wide while Derek’s were amused. “It’s perfect,” Derek said.

            “Uh, yeah, perfect.” Stiles agreed hesitantly.

            “There’s a little skirt and black leggings to go with it in there too.”

Stiles was really skeptical now. “Don’t worry, Stiles. It’s age appropriate.” Erica laughed.

Ava got bath stuff, toys and more clothes and by the end of the present session she had so much stuff Derek and Stiles knew they’d have to get rid of her old stuff to make room for it.

            “My present was running a little late,” Scott said. “I’ll be right back.” He slipped outside the front door and Stiles raised a brow at Allison in confusion.

She shrugged and placed a hand on her small yet growing bump. They were having another boy and Allison swore he was going to be ten pounds by the time she had him.

            Derek could smell Scott’s gift before he opened the door and it caused a growl to build within his chest.

Stiles shot him a glare and alarming look as Scott swung the door open. In his arms was a small black and white husky. Its ears were all black, along with his back but there was white starting in the middle of his eyebrows and coming down to finish the rest of his face. All of legs and his paws were white as well and his tail was black to finish with a white tip.

Stiles’ face lit up at the dog. “Scott, seriously? Yes!”

            “Scott, seriously? No.” Derek said firmly. “Ava could get hurt and-,”

            “Alexander has one too remember, we just got him last week? We actually picked out both so Ava could have one. They’re harmless Derek and they listen to us and Alexander really loves him and I’m sure Ava will love hers.” Scott sat the puppy down a ways from Ava and she stared at it in confusion. The puppy stared back sheepishly at Ava before taking a hesitant step towards her. Ava looked up at Derek as if she needed reassurance from her soon to be Alpha once she made the change tomorrow evening, and he nodded in response. The puppy pounced playfully at Ava before diving into her. Ava giggled widely as she grabbed clumps of the puppy’s fur and it licked her face.

            “See?” Scott grinned. “She loves him.”

            “Does he have a name?” Stiles asked.

Scott and Allison shook their heads. “We’re leaving that up to you.”

            “What should we name him?” Stiles turned to Derek.

Derek was too busy grinning at his daughter giggling with her new friend. The puppy kept licking Ava’s cheeks and nose and burying his face in her stomach as she petted him. “Roscoe.”

Stiles nodded. “Roscoe.”

 

            The party ended hours later and Stiles and Derek were more than happy to have their house to themselves again with Ava and the new puppy. Scott left Stiles and Derek with a starter kit from his office. It was equipped with a bed, kennel, bowls for food and water, food, and a few toys. Stiles was told to bring the dog in for routine shots and check-ups, of which Scott would remind him. Ava had fallen asleep twenty minutes after everyone left and the puppy lay beside her crib, sleeping as well. At first he whined when Derek put her in there, wanting to be with his friend, but Derek scolded him to be quiet and he did, allowing himself to fall asleep next to Ava like her third protector. Stiles and Derek stood in the doorway of their daughter’s room, staring at the scene.

            “I cannot believe she’s one already,” Stiles sighed.

Derek nodded. “I know. Time has gone so fast. You know her aging will slow when she gets older?”

Stiles nodded. “Yeah, that’s why you still look the same way you did when I stumbled onto your property years ago.”

Derek smiled and kissed Stiles. He then pulled him into his embrace. “I love you, and I love the life that we’ve created together. I wouldn’t want anything else.”

            “Me too, Der. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for following this series, i hope you're excited for more!

**Author's Note:**

> this is just part one in the series. there's going to be more little blips and scenes with Stiles, Derek, and baby Ava! The series is going to be over a couple years, starting with year one. Each year will have a few chapters before I advance onto the next. I'm super excited about this fic. Stay tuned!
> 
> Also if you want to follow me on tumblr I'm going to start taking prompts for Teen Wolf: Stydia, Scallison, Stallison, Sciles, Sterek obviously. You can also send me prompts for other TV shows/Movies/Books to see if I'm in those fandoms too! opnope.tumblr.com


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